Tech Leadership Weekly

Issue 93, December 6, 2017

Gustavo Razzetti
What If No One Could Ever Get Fired?

A team is a group of people who trust each other and work together. Fear destroys the effectiveness of that team.  Developing a psychologically safe environment is key to building effective teams. Promote psychological safety by encouraging differing opinions as well as dissent. Promote transparency with clear communication and a lack of hidden agendas. Let people be their unique self at work rather than their professional self. Practice empathy for the situation of others. Don't view mistakes as a punishable offense, but rather a necessary part of learning. Psychologically safe teams are the most effective teams.

Reading Time: 6 minutes
 

Lattice
Firing somebody terrified me — but the advice I got made a huge difference.

Letting someone go or having a hard conversation isn't easy. Avoid surprising the person with the conversation. Pause, and ask yourself, if  it's the only choice. Avoid talking about how hard the conversation is for you, it's going to be harder on the other person. Treat them with dignity, respect, and acknowledge that this is a  difficult situation for them to be in.

Reading Time: 5 minutes
 

First Round Review
Here’s How to Wield Empathy and Data to Build an Inclusive Team

Improving the diversity of a team begins with the desire to build diversity for the right reasons (not PR). Begin by evaluating how the you're currently doing. Make metrics visible and accessible within the larger organization. Leverage these metrics as the hiring team evaluates changes and improvements. Improvements to diversity don't come at the cost of quality, they drive the organization to improve their recruiting strategies.

Reading Time: 16 minutes
 

Do you know anyone who might find this newsletter valuable?  Forward it to them!  

If you would like to subscribe, you can signup at Tech Leadership Weekly.